Police chase disrupts Pasadena elementary school dismissal

Mary Gail Hare, The Baltimore Sun

The pursuit and arrest of a burglary suspect disrupted dismissal at a Pasadena elementary school Thursday.

Jason Thomas Donaldson, 27, of Severn, faces several burglary-related charges, police said. After a neighbor spotted him trying to break into a home in the 8400 block of Alvin Road, Donaldson led police on a nearly one-hour chase through the Lake Shore neighborhood and onto the grounds of Lake Shore Elementary.

Anne Arundel County police responded shortly after 3 p.m. to a neighbor's report of an attempted burglary. The neighbor had confronted the suspect and told police the man ran into a nearby wooded area. Officers flooded the area, but were initially unable to locate the suspect. Police activity prompted Lake Shore Elementary, which is about a half-mile from the attempted burglary scene, to delay its 3:20 p.m. dismissal. By 3:30 p.m., the police patrol commander cleared the school for dismissal.

Minutes into the dismissal, an officer spotted the suspect and began chasing him on foot. Numerous officers and a police K-9 unit arrived on the school parking lot as a helicopter flew overhead. Faculty opted to return students to the secured school building during the chase.

Donaldson was apprehended without incident shortly before 4 p.m. and students were able to board buses soon thereafter.